Plant package



April 15, 1941. M. R. MULFORD EIAL 2,238,818

PLANT PACKAGE Original Filed Feb. 5, 1957 INVENTORS. I fizz/er Z. G's/m BY Mae/01v 1E. M414 F0120.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 15, 1941 PLANT PACKAGE Marion R. Mulford and Harry Z. Gray, Lebanon,

Ohio, assignors to Hewett P. Mulford & Company, Lebanon, Ohio, a partnership consisting of Hewett P. Muli'ord and Marion R'..Mulford Application February 5, 1937, Serial No. 124,195 Renewed June 29,1939

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a package for plants and particularly to packages for plants which are grown from bulbs, such as Narcissus and the like. In the past many people have been denied the pleasure of growing these various attractive bulbs for the reason that no satisfactory and expeditious way has been devised in which these bulbs may be put on the market for sale.

Objects of our invention include the provision of a novel package designed to hold one or more bulbs in a bed of moist earth so that they may be shipped from the nursery to the various distribution cutlets.

These and other objects of our invention which will appear hereinafter or which will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, we accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which we shall now describe two-exemplary embodiments. Reference is now made to the drawing which forms part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank which forms the outer portion of our package.

Fig. 2 is across sectional view taken on the line 2-2, showing certain of the tabs in their bent position.

3 is a plan view of a blank which forms the inner portion of our package.

4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the blank folded aiong four of the score lines.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the blanks of Figs. 1 and 3 assembled together with parts broken away to show the construction.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank which forms the holder for the earth in which the plants are embedded.

7 is a perspective view showing the blank of Fig. 6 in its erected condition.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view-oi the completed plant package comprising the container of Fig. 7 enclosed within the inner and outer blanks of Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 9 is a partial plan view of a modified blank similar to that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a modified form of blank similar to that of Fig. 3.

Fig. 11 is a partial perspective view similar to Fig. 5 showing the appearance of the blanks r of Figs. 9 and 10 when assembled.

Briefly in the practice of our invention, we provide a container made of a moisture-proof material such as para-inn cardboard. In this container we place a container of earth and plant therein a number of bulbs. We then provide a cover for this container which we prefer to form with two portions and which completely encloses the container which carries the bulbs. The outer container may be printed in attractive colors and may carry advertising matter and instructions 'for'care of the growing bulbs.

In Fig. 1 we have shown the outer blank which comprises the members I, 2, 3 and 4, which form the side walls. These four wall members are connected by score lines to the portions 5, 6, 1 and 8, which form a marginal rim around the top of the container. The portions 9 Hi, 11 and [2 which are connected 'by score lines to the portions 5, '6, 1 and. 8 are adapted to form side wallsof a depressed portion as will be described hereinafter. Hinged to the side wall members I and 3 are bottom portions 13 and I4 which are provided respectively with slots I3a and tabs Ma for fastening purposes. The members I and 3 are also provided with tabs 15 and the-members 2. ,and '4 are provided with the hinged tabs 2a and 4a which in turn carry tabs l-S. l6 serve to lock the end walls 2 and 4 in position.

The inner blank comprises .a portion H which forms the bottom of the aforementioned depressed portion of the side members I8 and [9 which are provided with a series of score lines 20, 2i and 22. The portions. 23 and 24 form the end walls 'of the depressed portion; ,In this blank there are provided a series oiislots 25 and a seriesof openings 28. The. side members 18 and i9 serve to hold the portion I! in position, and also add rigidity to the package.

The inner container within which the earth is carried is shown in'Fig. 6 and is provided with score lines, as shown, sothat it may be erected to the form shown in Fig, '7 by bringing the diagonal. score lines indicated ,at 21 inwardly and folding them against the end wall portionsZB.

This plant package is assembled as follows: First thecontainer shown in Fig. 7 isconstructed as just described. This container is filled with earth and bulbs are planted in it. Next the blanks of Figs. 1 and 3 are assembled and the portions 9, H), II and I2 are .foldedldownwardly. When this is done it Will be noted that the tab portions 25a are in a position to enter into the slots 25 in the blank of Fig. 3. The members .23 and24 in the blank of Fig. .3 when-folded upwardly cooperate with the membersin. and 12 .of the blank of Fig. 1. to form theendwalls-bf a depressed. portion indicated "generally .at in Figs. 5 and 8. Likewise the upwardioldin gpol The tabs blank is then folded along the score lines 20 and 2|, as shown in Fig. 5, and the members I, 2, 3 and 4 are folded downwardly. Then the respective tabs I 5 are brought together and the portions 2 and 4 are brought down over them, with the tabs 16 folded inwardly and the portions 2a 1 and 4a are then folded upwardly. The last oper ation consists in folding the portions {3 'and 14 upwardly and inserting the tab l4 into the slots I3a. Of course, the lock formed by the portion l3a and 14 might well be arranged to be in a side wall rather than on the bottom, without departing from thespirit of our invention. Prior to placing the composite blanks of Figs. 1 and 3 over the container, we prefer to take pieces of Cellophane 3!, or pieces of similar material over the protruding portions of the bulbs in order to'protect them from possible injury and in order to preserve the moisture Within the earth,

, In the example shown in Figs. 1 to 8, We provide three bulbs which may protrude upwardly through the openings 26, as indicated in Fig. 8. I In Figs, 9 to 11 inclusive, we have shown one way in which our plant packages may be modified. In this example, instead of a single large depressed portion we have provided two smaller depressed portions. In each of these we have provided for the planting of three small bulbs. The outer blank is in all respects similar to that of Fig. 1 except that instead of the portions 9 to [2, we have provided members I to and Ho which form the end walls of the two depressed portions, and we' have provided a bridge portion 32 with corresponding wall portions 33, The portion 32 has the function of strengthening the package transversely. The members I to and EM and 33 are again provided with the tabs 25a for insertion in the slots 25 in the inner blank. The position of the slots 25 is, of course, altered in accordance with th-edifferent positions of the various tabs 25a.

The inner blank shown in Fig. 10 may be similar to that of Fig. 3, and the portions l8 and I?! may be omitted. In order to provide for the planting of three bulbs in each half of the container, we provide the openings 34 which are in the form of three overlapping circular holes.

.In both examples of our invention it will be noted that the raised flange portion surrounding the'recessed water well gives the appearance of strength, and tends to create the impression that the package is made of heavier material than actually used.

It is to be understood that different forms of our invention may be made Without departing from the spirit thereof and that We do not wish to be limited otherwise than as set forth in the claims which follow.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A plant package comprising an inner container of moisture proof material, a member in teri'ltting with said container and comprising a portion forming a cover for said container fitting below the upper edge thereof, portions extending upwardly from said cover portion and forming therewith a well, and portions extending downwardly outside said container to the bottom thereof, and an outer cover member interlocking with said first mentioned member and having means to interlock about said container and member, said cover portion being perforated whereby liquid placed in said well has access only to the interior of said container.

2. A plant package comprising an inner container of moisture proof 'material, a member interfitting with said container and comprising a portion forming a cover for said container fitting below the upper edge thereof, portions extending upwardly from said cover portion and forming therewith a well, portions extending outwardly from said upwardly extending portions to form a marginal ledge about said container, and portions extending downwardly outside said container to the bottom thereof, and an outer cover member interlocking with said first mentioned member and having means to interlock about said container and member, said cover portion being perforated whereby liquid placed in said well has access only to the interior of said container, said marginal ledge forming a protective rim about said container, whereby a number of said packages may be stacked for shipment without injury to plant sprouts packed in said package, said downwardly extending portions serving to stiffen said package and aid in maintaining said ledge portions in operative position.

3. A plant package comprising an inner container of moisture proof material, a member interfitting with said container and comprising a portion forming a cover for said container fitting below the upper edge thereof, portions extending upwardly from said cover portion and forming therewith a well, portions extending outwardly from said upwardly extending portions to form a marginal ledge about said container,

and portions extending downwardly outside said container to the bottom thereof, and an outer cover member having portions extending over said ledge and downwardly into said well and having tab members, said cover portion being provided with slits to cooperate with said tab members to interlock said first mentioned member and said cover member, said cover member having portions to interlock about said container and first mentioned member, said cover portion being perforated whereby liquid placed in said well has access only to the interior of said container, said marginal ledge forming a protective rim about said container, whereby a number of said packages may be stacked for shipment without injury to plant sprouts packed in said package, said downwardly extending portions serving to stiffen said package and aid in maintaining said ledge portions in operative position.

4. A plant package comprising an inner container of moisture proof material, a member interfitting with said container and comprising a portion forming a cover for said container fitting below the upper edge thereof, portions extending upwardly from said cover portion around the edges thereof and forming therewith a wed, in portions extending downwardly outside said container to the bottom thereof, and an outer cover member surrounding said first mentioned member and having means to fasten it about said container and member, said cover portion being perforated whereby liquid placed in said well has access only to the interior of said container.

5. A plant package'compri'sing an inner container of moisture proof material, andan outer finishing member, said uter member being provided with a perforated cover portion fitting below the rim of said inner container, upwardly extending portions around the edges thereof defining with said cover portion a water well, whereby water poured into said well must flow into said inner container, portions extending outwardly from at least some of said upwardly extending portions to form ledges, and portions extending over all sides and the bottom of said container and fastened thereabout.

6. A plant package comprising an inner container of moisture proof material, an outer finishing member completely covering and concealing said inner container, said outer member having a portion constituting a cover for contents of said inner container depressed below the upper edge thereof, whereby to form the bottom of a well, said cover being perforated for access of water to the interior of said moisture proof container.

'7. A plant package comprising an inner container of moisture proof material, an outer finishing member completely covering and concealing said inner container, said outer member having a portion constituting a cover for contents of said inner container depressed below the upper edge thereof, whereby to form the bottom of a well, said cover being perforated for access of water to the interior of said moisture proof container, and said depressed portion being inwardly spaced from the margin of said outer member to provide marginal stacking ledges.

HARRY Z. GRAY. MARION R. MULFORD. 

